The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 188: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

174 vinced of his error, was when I en- tered the railway station next day to return to London. My detectives had nabbed their men all right, and we had handed them over to the local authori- ties to await the extradition hearings. Our work was done. As I was crossing the platform to take the London train, whom should I run into but Norman Harley. “Hello, Harley!’ I exclaimed, in surprise; “ what on earth are you doing down here? ” “Ferguson, by Jove!” he replied, heartily shaking hands. “ Glad to see you. Somebody by the name of Roth- well sent for me. He’s lost jewels worth a hundred thousand pounds— or his wife has. Rather a remarkable case; but, of course, you must have heard of it.” “Better go back home, Harley,” I said, rather sourly, Tl admit, for Rothwell’s sending for a private de- tective annoyed me. We don’t favor private detectives so much in England as you do in America; though Harley was an exception, too. He was an amateur who never ac- cepted a fee. Crime detection was his hobby. | He often helped us at the yard, as I mentioned in a previous reminiscence, and never claimed credit for his work. That came to us officials. It wasn’t Harley 1 was annoyed at; but at the Chicago millionaire. I watched my train steam out while I went over the case in detail. I de- cided I could very well take the next train, and perhaps I should have the pleasure of carrying Harley along with me. But he insisted upon seeing Roth- well first. I wasn’t present at that interview. After it, and when he had talked with Hopkins and the hotel manager, he was inclined to admit that we were right and the millionaire pork-packer wrong. Only Harley was always chary of committing himself. In the afternoon he went out walk- ing with the Rothwells, who had de- THE ARGOSY. cided to postpone their visit to Tor- quay indefinitely. He came back from that walk all excitement. “Ferguson,” he began at once, “trust a woman to note insignificant details. I’ve got an important clue from Mrs. Rothwell. Just take a run up to Chester and make a few inquiries about Colonel Tomlinson. ‘Take your time over it, and—let me see, this is Tuesday—on Friday, persuade a couple of the friends he met at the Royal to come down here. You await my tele- gram.” “You go to thunder, Harley said I promptly. “ I’m not going away up. there on any wild-goose chase. Women notice details—fiddlesticks! They'll see details that don’t exist.” “Well, please yourself, Ferguson. You've ten minutes to catch your train, if youre going. Rothwell’s offering one thousand pounds reward for the recovery of his wife’s jewels.” Well, I knew Harley of old. He was generally to be depended on, and —there was the reward. I went to Chester and made inquiries. As I had expected, everything I heard fitted in exactly with Tomlinson’s story. I chafed under the irksome situation, and secretly cursed Harley for a blunderer. Then I had this telegram from him: 99 ! Arrest Colonel Tomlinson at Liver- pool. Probably sailing Saturday by Mauretania. Disguised, particularly as to voice. Assumed namne. I got my man all right. He was dressed in a suit of rough tweed, with cap to match, and had booked a second- class passage. He spoke like.a well- bred Englishman, and protested vio- lently, denying his identity, and that he had ever seen me before; but I took a chance. When I joined Harley in London, I got a surprise. He had another Tom- linson under arrest. The two were as like as two peas, and when I had re- covered from the shock I got the full story as Harley had unraveled it. CoOMmicbook CO